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Chris Jericho

50

Although they never had a long, drawn-out rivalry, Jericho is one of a handful of wrestlers to pin The Undertaker on national television. Y2K also pinned The Dead Man to win the World Heavyweight Title in 2010, albeit due to outside interference from Shawn Michaels.

In 2003, A-Train was aligned with The Big Show and the two gave Undertaker several nervous moments. In fact, the two teamed to face Taker in a handicap match at WrestleMania XIX when his partner Nathan Jones was injured. Still, A-Train's hairy back wasn't enough to overcome The Dead Man.

49

A-Train

Mr. Hughes was another individual who stole Undertaker's prized urn and while he didn't transform it into another object, he and manager Harvey Wippleman gloated over the acquisition. The slacks-and-suspenders wearing superstar was soon dealt with by The Dead Man.

 

Last week, we counted down the Top 50 Hallowe'en Horrors, and The Undertaker found himself in the number one position, what with him being a real-life zombie and all.

 

But it got us to thinking that The Phenom has become far more than a macabre gimmick that can creep people out. He's also an icon of the industry, someone who has been counted on time and time again to boost business and sell tickets. Given he's clashed with so many different opponents during his 24-year run in the WWE, it's a valid question to ask whom have brought out the best in the Dead Man.

 

This week's Top 50 list looks at whom The Undertaker's biggest rivalries have been with. They aren't necessarily wrestlers, but definitely people who have managed to up his game over the years. The more pain, losses and humiliation they've caused the man behind The Streak - the higher they rank on this particular list.

 

Ready? Here we go!

 

 

Any names missing or misplaced?  Leave your feedback in the Comments section below...

In 1995, King Mabel interfered in a match between The Undertaker and Yokozuna and legitimately fractured The Dead Man's orbital bone after an errant legdrop to the face. When he returmed, Taker went after The King with a vengeance, and the two even battled in a casket match on pay-per-view.

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Despite Heidenreich not exactly having a Hall of Fame career, he ended up feuding with The Undertaker for several months. The Dead Man faced off against the psychopath at Survivor Series in 2004 and the rivalry carried on until the Royal Rumble when Heidenreich recruited help from Gene Snitsky.

Heidenreich

48

At first blush, it may appear as though The Undertaker and The Great One merely co-existed during The Attitude Era, but they ended up doing battle on numerous pay-per-views, including Survivor Series 1998, King of the Ring 1999, Unforgiven 2000 and Vengeance 2002.

It happened when The Shield were on their way up and Taker on his way down, but their battle last year showed that three determined men were able to leave The Undertaker laying after he was speared through a barricade by Roman Reigns and then triple-powerbombed onto the announce table.

46

The Shield

Superfly was The Undertaker's very first WrestleMania opponent for a streak that would span 20 more Manias. In addition to their WrestleMania 7 match, Snuka and The Dead Man also battled on the house show circuit during 1991.

45

Superfly

Jimmy Snuka

The only things that are certain in life are death and taxes, making this a very interesting rivalry in 1994-95. Shyster repossessed some of The Dead Man's tombstones and burial plots because of an outstanding tax bill. Eventually the two battled at the Royal Rumble, where Taker settled up with The Tax Man. 

44

Irwin R. Shyster

Think Maven never got under The Phenom's skin? Look no further than the Royal Rumble in 2002, when the Tough Enough winner surprisingly eliminated The Undertaker from the match. And while Maven paid dearly for his upset move that night, it was enough to ignite a brief rivarly between the two.

43

Maven

After The Undertaker vanquished IRS (# 44), his stablemate King Kong Bundy came to ringside and stole The Dead Man's prized urn, allegedly the source of his power.  The theft led to a match at WrestleMania 11, where Taker made quick work of The Walking Condominium.

42

King Kong Bundy

In 2004, Bubba Ray and D-Von Dudley abducted Undertaker's long time manager Paul Bearer at the urging of Paul Heman, and refused to release him back until Taker joined The Dudleys. Instead, they faced The Dead Man in a match where Bearer was buried alive in a concrete crypt.

41

The Dudley Boyz

40

King Mabel
Top 50 Lists

Towards the end of 2001, a newly-turned heel Undertaker decided to target Rob Van Dam's Hardcore Championship. The Dead Man captured belt at the Vengeance PPV. The next year, RVD appeared to have defeated World Champion Taker on Raw but the decision was reversed by GM Ric Flair.

39

Rob Van Dam

Booker T swore he wasn't afraid of The Undertaker when the two feuded in 2004. But when The Dead Man sent fire and lightning bolts Booker's way, he began to change his tune. This prompted Booker to visit the graveyard, practice voodoo and find out ways to topple Taker before their Judgment Day match. 

38

Booker T

The Undertaker attempted to ended JBL's reign of terror as World Heavyweight Champion at SummerSlam in 2004. However, Taker accidentally got himself disqualified and later chokeslammed Bradshaw through the roof of his own limousine. This led to a dreaded "Last Ride" match at No Mercy that year.

John Bradshaw Layfield

37

In 1992, Kamala and The Undertaker battle at SummerSlam. Just as Taker was about to tombstone his foe, handler Kimchee interfered and the two laid a savage beating on The Dead Man. Following that, Undertaker and Paul Bearer began scaring Kamala with a casket, leading to a casket match at Survivor Series.

36

Kamala

Yes, we realize Kamala and Kama's names seem awfully similar. But The Supreme Fighting Machine is a different person that The Ugandan Headhunter and in 1995, Kama stole The Undertaker's urn and turned it into a necklace of sorts. This led to a (yet another) casket match at SummerSlam that year.

35

Kama

34

Mr. Hughes

The Undertaker likes to play mind games with his opponents, but Goldust turned the tables when he actually tried to hit on The Dead Man! An alliance between Goldust and Mankind was soon formed, leading to a casket match at In Your House: Beware Of Dog, where Goldust actually defeated The Undertaker!

33

Goldust
 

At the 1993 Royal Rumble, Giant Gonzales (formerly El Gigante in WCW) appeared out of seemingly nowhere and eliminated Undertaker from the Rumble match. This led to an inconclusive match at WrestleMania IX and a Rest In Peace match at SummerSlam where Taker was able to slay the giant.

32

Giant Gonzales

31

Ted DiBiase

True, these two haven't wrestled one-on-one and true, it was Ted DiBiase who brought Undertaker into the WWF as a teammate in 1990, but when you think about the people The Million Dollar Man has sent after Undertaker, including IRS, Bundy and even a doppleganger, there was a serious grudge there.

This rivalry began at the Royal Rumble in 1996, when Big Daddy Cool cost The Undertaker his shot at the WWF World Title. The following month, when Diesel was challenging for the same title, The Dead Man appeared from underneath the ring to cost him the match. They finally settled their score at WrestleMania XII.

30

Diesel

When The Great Khali debuted in the WWE in 2006, his very first target was none other than The Undertaker. Surprisingly, Khali easily pinned The Phenom during their first match at Judgment Day. They battled on and off until later in the day, when Taker won in a Last Man Standing match.

29

The Great Khali

Shortly after his WWF debut in 2000, Angle found himself at odds with The Undertaker after accidentally knocking over his motorcycle. Angle's brother Eric cost Taker their match at Survivor Series that year, and the two also had short-term programs in 2002, 2003 and 2006.

28

Kurt Angle

The Undertaker's rivalry with The World's Strongest Man began in 2006, when Mark Henry interfered in Undertaker's match with Kurt Angle. This led to (yet another) Casket Match at WrestleMania 22. A year later, Henry returned from Henry and attacked Taker once againm, leading to a match at Unforgiven.

27

Mark Henry

In addition to making his life miserable while being SmackDown General Manager, Paul Heyman also had two of his clients go after The Undertaker at consecutive WrestleManias. According to Taker's WCW manager, Heyman sent Brock Lesnar after Taker when CM Punk failed in his turn to do so.

26

Paul Heyman

In a scene that probably shouldn't have aired on television, Muhammad Hassan ordered followers wearing ski masks to attack The Undertaker and then carry him off, making it look like an abduction. Of course, the segment aired the week of the London subway bombings, sealing Hassan's fate in WWE.

25

Muhammad Hassan

In 2001, an unknown stalker showed disturbing videos, creeping around The Undertaker's home with footage of his wife. The stalker was revealed to be Diamond Dallas Page, who wanted to become "famous" at the hands of The Dead Man. And if by "famous", he meant losing repeatedly, he accomplished it.

24

Diamond Dallas Page

This rivalry began in 1999, when The Big Show chokeslammed The Undertaker "to hell" through a hole in the ring. This led to several feuds between the two, including a handicap match at WrestleMania XIX, a Punjabi Prison match at The Great American Bash, and their very own Casket Match at Survivor Series 2008.

23

The Big Show

What could be possibly be more personal than someone stealing your identity? After The Undertaker disappeared in early 1994, Ted DiBiase claimed to have signed him to a contract. It turned out to be his doppleganger Evil Undertaker and the two battled it out in the main event of that year's SummerSlam.

22

Evil Undertaker

The Undertaker has had several run-ins with Stephanie McMahon. First, there was the time where he abducted her in an attempt to marry the boss' daughter. Speaking of Triple H, there was also the angle before WrestleMania X-7 where Stephanie tried to prevent her husband's Mania match with Taker.

21

Stephanie McMahon

In 2002, The Undertaker defended his World Championship against Jeff Hardy and was dismissive of the challenge at first. But by the time they faced off in a Ladder Match on Raw, The Dead Man at least had respect for Hardy, turning The Phenom babyface and giving Hardy quite the endorsement.

20

Jeff Hardy

When The Undertaker won the Royal Rumble in 2007, he received an automatic title shot at the champion of his choosing. He selected World Champion Batista and defeated The Animal at WrestleMania XXIII. The match was close, though, and led to Steel Cage and Last Man Standing matches that year.

19

Batista

CM Punk first feuded with The Undertaker in 2009, with a couple of brutal encounters at the Breaking Point and Hell In A Cell pay-per-views. A few years later, Punk challenged The Dead Man to a match at WrestleMania 29, with Punk and manager Paul Heyman mocking the recent death of manager Paul Bearer.

18

CM Punk

The Undertaker was Jake Roberts's willing partner-in-crime for some time as they went after the likes of Randy Savage and Sycho Sid. But when Roberts attempted to blindside Miss Elizabeth with a steel chair, The Undertaker stopped The Snake and turned babyface in the process for the first time.

17

Jake The
Snake Roberts

The Undertaker and Mr. McMahon have been at odds numerous times, beginning in 1998 and carrying on when McMahon's Corporation waged war with Undertaker's Ministry. Years later, The Chairman managed to defeat The Dead Man in a Buried Alive match at Survivor Series.

16

Vince McMahon

While Paul Bearer is largely remembered for being in the corner of The Undertaker, it wasn't always that way. For example, at the conclusion of the Boiler Room Brawl in 1996, Bearer sided with Mankind instead of Taker. He then tried to rid the WWF of The Dead Man by debuting his brother Kane.

15

Paul Bearer

By the time Edge and The Undertaker locked up at WrestleMania XXIV, it was a rivalry almost a year in the making. The Ultimate Opportunist cashed in his Money In The Bank briefcase against a prone Dead Man, and later that year cost Taker a shot at the championship. The two then feuded for months after Mania.

14

Edge 

At WrestleMania 21, Randy Orton attempted to "make an impact" by defeating The Undertaker and like many before him, he was unsuccessful. But The Legend Killer didn't give up - he recruited his father Cowboy Bob Orton, and the two made 2005 a difficult year for Taker, including defeating him in a Casket Match.

13

Randy Orton

Sycho Sid presented an interesting challenge for The Undertaker at WrestleMania 13 - here was someone with roughly the same size and strength as The Dead Man, and he was going into the event as WWF Champion. However, Undertaker managed to end the event with his streak and the belt intact.

12

Sycho Sid

Ric Flair started this rivalry out as General Manager of Raw, but crossed the line from official to competitor after he attacked The Undertaker. A personal feud developed, with The Phenom attacking Flair's son David and best friend Arn Anderson ahead of their brutal clash at WrestleMania XIII.

11

Ric Flair

It was during their Casket Match at Royal Rumble 1994 that The Undertaker lost to Yokozuna and apparently rose up to the heavens. The Dead Man wasn't seen for most of that year, resurfacing at SummerSlam and eventually turning his attention back to Yoko in a Casket Match at that year's Survivor Series.

10

Yokozuna

Bret Hart and The Undertaker had several clashes over the years - they were on opposing teams in Taker's very first match. Perhaps the most definitive was their SummerSlam match in 1997 with The Phenom's WWF World Title on the line. The Hit Man won the Championship due to special referee Shawn Michaels.

9

Bret Hart

The Undertaker's very first major rivalry was with The Ultimate Warrior, which began at a television taping the day after WrestleMania VII. Warrior was locked in an "airtight" casket by The Dead Man leading to a feud that was played out in months of live events, including the rarely seen Body Bag matches.

8

The Ultimate Warrior

Steve Austin and The Undertaker often found themselves on the opposite side of the fence during their respective WWF runs including a match at the Cold Day In Hell PPV in 1997 and a fan favorite vs. fan favorite match at SummerSlam in 1998, which Austin won via a relatively clean pinfall victory.

7

Stone Cold Steve Austin

The Undertaker and Brock Lesnar feuded twice, with about a decade in between the rivalries. The first time was in 2002, with Lesnar holding a victory over Taker in a Hell In A Cell match. And of course, at WrestleMania XXX, The Beast Incarnate was able to end Undertaker's 21-0 winning streak with a pinfall loss.

6

Brock Lesnar

The Undertaker and Shawn Michaels have never seen eye to eye, beginning with the very first Hell In A Cell match, which Michaels managed to win due to outside interference. The two also engaged in back-to-back classics at WrestleManias 25 and 26, including Michaels's final match as an active wrestler.

5

Shawn Michaels

In 1991, a year after his WWF debut, The Undertaker defeated Hulk Hogan at Survivor Series, until to drop the belt to The Hulkster a week or so later at This Tuesday In Texas. In 2002, they rekindled their rivalry older and wiser, with Undertaker once again ending Hogan's Undisputed WWF World Title run.

4

Hulk Hogan

Triple H remains the only person to face The Undertaker at three different WrestleManias - XVII, XXVII and XXVIII, which was their brutal Hell In A Cell "End of an era" match. The Game also waged war with the Dead Man over the Undisputed WWF World Title in 2002.

3

Triple H

Unlike many of this list, Mankind was one of the first people to get into The Undertaker's head. It worked for a while, with Mrs. Foley's Baby Boy scoring victories over The Dead Man in Boiler Room Brawl and Buried Alive matches, but Taker getting the last word during their infamous Hell In a Cell match.

2

Mankind

Who else has caused The Undertaker more sleepless nights than his own flesh and blood Kane? After attacking Taker during his 1997 debut, Kane haunted The Dead Man for some time, and the pair had two different WrestleMania encounters! And even though they've teamed up as The Brothers of Destruction from time to time, The Big Red Machine upset The Phenom in a World Title match as recently as 2010 after leaving him lying in a "vegetative state." Sounds like more than a typical sibling rivalry to us...

1

Kane

47

The Rock
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